Electric sparking igniter for gas or gasolene engines.



' No. 788,732. PATENTEI] MAY 2, 1905.

I J. P. SEATON. ELECTRIC SPARKING IGNITER FOR GAS 0R GASOLE NB ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.19, 1903.

WITNESSES INVENTOR UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PARKEY SEATON, OF NORTH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,732, dated May 2,1905.

- Application filed September 19, 1903. Serial No. 173,834.

To all whom it may concern:

a cam and lever-arm actuated by the driving-shaft of an engine isbrought into contact with an insulated electric point of similarsubstance and supplied with a current from an electric battery; and theobjects of my invention are, first, to provide two shafts having each anignition-point at one end and at the other end of one a shaft-spring andle ver-arm attachment and at the other end of the other shaft ashaft-spring, a speed-regulating lever, and an electric-batteryconnection; second, to provide the mechanism for producing a successivedouble-wipe electric spark in the cylinder of an engine at eachrevolution of the driving-shaft of a two-cycle engine and. at everyalternate revolution of the driving-shaft of a fourcycle engine, therebyrendering the explosion of the compression in the cylinder of anoperating-engine absolutely certain at the beginning of each stroke ofthe actuated piston of a two-cycle engine and at the beginning of eachalternate stroke of a four-cycle engine, and, third, to insure thedouble wipe of the two ignitionpoints against each other of the twoalternate sides thereof, thereby preventing the corrosion of said pointsand rendering them at all times clean and bright. I attain these objectsby the mechanism in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is adetail view of an engine with parts broken away, showing means ofconnecting my device to the driving-shaft of an engine and the igniterattached. Fig. 2 isa front view of the igniter. Fig. 3 is a reverse viewof the igniter,showing the ignition-points in normal position. Fig. 4 isasectional view taken on line 9 9. Fig. 5 is a sectional view Fig. 6 1sa slde view in elevatlon on line 8 8.

of the friction-arm and bearing in contact with a cam on thedriving-shaft of an engine.

A represents the cylinder of an ordinary gas or gasolene engine.

B is a metallic plug of any desired form, having the offset 0 andadapted tofit into an opening in the cylinder A and supplied withpacking 4).

Through the plug B, which is secured to the cylinder with bolts or othersuitable fastening device, is journaled shaft 7), provided with suitablebushing a and insulation 2' and is provided at its inner end withshaft-head 6, which is adapted to close shaft-seat 11, therebypreventing the escape of the compression during its explosion, andcarries the ignition linger or point in. Near its outer end is securedthe spiral shaft-spring 0, which has its outer end secured in theorifice 7) of nut 0 by means of the milled head 0 and having its innerend secured in the orifice p of speedlever s and is adapted to operatelongitudinally along shaft Z) with sufiicient force to retain shaft-head6 in its normal position and rotatively about shaft 5, therebycontrolling its axial position for the purpose of returningignition-point k to and retaining it in its normal position when wipedaside by the other actuated ignition-point Z in the normal course ofoperation of the engine and igniter.

The bushing 66, which surrounds shaft 6, is

provided with flange 10 on its inner end and is held rigidly in positionby nut 2. near its outer end. Bushing a is also provided near its outerend with speed lever or regulator .9, having orifice 19 in which issecured the inner end of shaft spring 0 by means of milled head 8.

Speed lever or regulator s is adapted to fit loosely on the outer end ofbushing a between nut tand lock-nut 0, but is held firmly in posi tionat any desired angle on its axis by means of lock-nut c. Speed-lever sis designed to control the speed of the engine by determining thepromptness of delivery of the electric spark in the cylinder and theconsequent ignition of the compression. When the speedlever is turnedand secured in any desired position to the right of a perpendiculardrawn through its axis, the delivery of the spark in the cylinder willbe hastened or take place earlier relatively to the stroke of thepiston; but if secured in position at an angle to the left of theperpendicular the ignition of the spark in the cylinder will berelatively re- 7 tarded, resulting in the first place in the speed ofthe engine being increased and in the latter instance in its beingdiminished. The 1'0- tation of speed-lever s rotates shaft-spring 0,which in turn rotates shaft Z by rotating nut 12, bringing thecontact-point f it nearer to that of the normal position of Z or fartheraway from it, as the operator may desire the speed of his engineincreased or retardedthat is, when speed -lever s is rotated andsecuredin position by means of milled head 0 to the right of a perpendiculardrawn through its axis point Zr is made to assume a position nearer tothe relative position of point Z,as inclicated in Fig. 3 of thedrawings. If the engine be now operated and the igniter put in motionsimultaneously therewith, the electric sparks will be generated in thecylinder when the piston is at or near the point of its initial strokeand while the compression in the cylinder is under greatest pressure thecompression in the cylinder will be exploded at that point of the strokeof the piston, instantlydriving the piston forward from its point ofinitial stroke at each return thereto and by the prompt recurrence ofthese explosions increase the speed of the action of the piston and theconsequent speed of the engine, but when speed-lever s is rotated andsecured in a position to the left of said perpendicular point k thenassumes a position farther from point Z, which on being normallyoperated simultaneously with the piston will move a greater distancebefore coming in contact with point k. The igniter-sparks are thusproduced at a relatively later period in the stroke of the piston-z'. a,after it has completed a larger part of its stroke-and consequentlyexplodes the compression when the operated piston is at a greaterdistance from its initial point of stroke and while the compression isunder less pressure, resulting in a retarded movement of the piston anda consequent slackened speed of the engine. Shaft Z) is supplied with anelectric current froma battery through wires attached to its outer end.Shaft f is also journaled into plug B, parallel to and near shaft 6. Onits inner end is located shaft-head 7, carrying ignition-point Z. It issurrounded with bushing a, having flange 10, and secured in plug B bynut t. On its projecting outer end is located spiral shaft-spring on,its inner end pressing against the outer end of bushing a and its outerend pressing against the head of lever-arm e, which is rigidly securedto the outer end of shaft f. The object of this spring is to normallyadjust shaft-head 7 in shafthead seat 7 so as to prevent leakage or lossof compression during the operation of the engine. 1

Lever-arm 6, extending outwardly from its axis of oscillation, isprovided with the connection-rod g, pivotally secured at its outer end,said rod 9 being pivotally secured to bearing-arm it, forming therewithand tension-spring z" a lever of the second class, as

shown in drawings, Figs. 1 and 6.

Bearing-arm Zt is pivotally secured to engine A near driving-shaft 4 byany suitable means and is provided near its center with pivotal bearingsfor operating connection-rod g outwardly from the center, bearings, andfriction-wheel Z1, and at its outer end bearings for tension-spring c".

Friction-wheel it is located in bearing-arm it, preferably between thebearings of connection-rod g and tension-spring 2" at the outer end ofbearing-arm 7i, and is adapted to move smoothly over periphery of cam 2.Cam 2 is rigidly journaled to driving-shaft 4 of the engine and isadapted and arranged to impart an up-and-down motion to bearingarm 7iand ignition-point Z through shaft f, connection-rod g, and lever-armewith reference to the stroke of piston of engine and to ignite charge incylinder at the moment compression fills it, resulting in desiredexplosion and consequent generation of desired power.

Ignition-points and Z are arranged to point inwardly and toward eachother, the point Z being slightly longer than that of k and adjusted tostand slightly above it when in its normal position, both of which aremade of any very hard electrically-conductive metallic substance.

More particularly, when bearing-arm h is oscillated upward by cam 2passing its longer diameter under it an upward motion is given throughthe connecting mechanism to leverarm 6. Ignition-point Z, located at theinner end of shaft f, is caused to move downward, wiping against andpassing point is of the insulated shaft Z), generating an intense fatspark in its downward movement; but cam 2 continues to revolve andinstantly passes its shorter diameter under friction-wheel Z1, and byaction of tension-spring z' friction-wheel h instantly rolls into theshorter diameter of cam 2. Through the connecting mechanism lever-arm eis oscillated downward, and ignition-point Z is carried upward,wiping'against insulated point A; in assuming its normal position andagain generating an intense electric fat spark, both sparks beinggenerated instantly though consecutively with each revolution of thedriving-shaft 4 and cam 2 of the engine, which are adapted to ignite thecharge of compression at the desired moment.

I am aware that electric igniters have been constructed heretofore. Itherefore do not claim my combination broadly; but,

What 1 do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In an electric igniter for gas and gasolene engines, an oscillatingshaft provided with suitable bushing and insulation, j ournaled into asuitable plug, provided on its inner end with a shaft-head and carryingan ignition-point, and on its outer end, and in combination with it, aspiral shaft and tension-spring having its outer end rigidly secured inan adjustable nut or support, said nut rigidly secured to said shaft atits outer end, and its inner end adjustablysecured to, and incombination with a speed-lever, journaled on the outer end of thebushing of the oscillating shaft, and secured movably in its normalposition by a lock-nut for the purpose of regulating the speed of theengine, said shaft having electrical connection at its outer end,substantially as described.

2. In an electric igniter for gas and gasolene engines, having a plugwith parallel shafts journaled in it, carrying on their inner ends, eacha shaft-head and an electric contact,adapted to wipe one against theother and to generate electric sparks, the one having on its outer end ashaft and tension-spring with suitable supports, and movably secured tothe outer end of. its bushing a speed lever or reg-- ulator, and havingelectrical connection at its outer end, the other and actuating shaftpro vided with suitable bushing and at its outer end a spiralshaft-spring and lever-arm, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric igniter for gas and gasolene engines, the combinationof a plug having rotatable parallel shafts journaled therein, providedat their inner ends each, with a shafthead and an electric ignition orcontact point, one provided with suitable bushing and insulation, havingon its outer end, and in combination therewith, a spiral shaft andtensionspring the outer end of which is rigidly se cured by a milledhead or other suitable means in an orifice in a nut or support firmlysecured to the outer end of said shaft, and having its inner end rigidlysecured to and in combination with a speed-lever which is movablyjournaled to the outer end of the bush ing of the insulated shaft, androtatably secured in position by a lock-nut, the other shaft havingsuitable bushing and on its outer projection a spiral shaft-spring, andon its outer end the radially-projecting lever-arm e, in combinationwith the connecting-rod g, friction or bearing arm h, friction-wheel h,spring 7:, cam 2, and driving-shaft 4, all for the purpose andsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification inthe'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH PARKEY SEATON. Witnesses:

S. L. (lumen, P. E. CHEEK.

